Portion of the coast closes for mussel harvesting

Friday, August 31, 2018
   
SALEM, Ore.--The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and ODFW announce a portion of the coast has closed for recreational mussel harvesting due to elevated levels of domoic acid.

Recreational mussel harvesting is closed from the south jetty of the Coquille River to the California border. Recreational mussel harvesting remains open from the Columbia River to the south jetty of the Coquille River.

Recreational razor clam harvesting is open from Tillamook Head to the south jetty of the Coquille River. Razor clamming is closed north of Tillamook Head on all Clatsop County beaches (as part of annual conservation closure July 15-Sept. 30 each year) and from the south jetty of the Coquille River to the California border.
​
Bay clams and crab are open for recreational harvesting along the entire Oregon coast
For more information call the ODA Shellfish Safety Hotline at (800) 448-2474. Closures are also noted on ODA’s Recreation Shellfish page and on ODFW’s Recreation Report - Clamming and Crabbing Report.
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Contact:
Judy Dowell, ODA, (503) 871-2118

Free Fishing on Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day Weekend in Oregon
August 28, 2018

SALEM, Ore.—It’s free to fish, crab or clam in Oregon on Saturday, Sept. 1 and Sunday, Sept. 2.
During these two days, no fishing licenses or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag or Columbia River Basin Endorsement) are required to fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon for both residents and non-residents. Although no licenses or tags are required, all other fishing regulations apply including closures, bag limits and size restrictions.
“Get out and enjoy the last weekend of summer and do some fishing with family and friends,” said Mike Gauvin, ODFW recreational fisheries manager.
Look for the best fishing opportunities in ODFW’s Weekly Recreation Report, which is updated every Wednesday. Some good bets for new anglers this time of year are warmwater fishing and trout. Several waterbodies will be stocked with trout in time for the holiday weekend, see the Trout Stocking Schedule or Recreation Report for details.
Oregon will have one final weekend of free fishing on Nov. 23-24, 2018, the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.
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Contact:
Michelle Dennehy
Oregon Fish and Wildlife
[email protected]
(503) 931-2748

Coos County Veterans Department
Coos County Courthouse Annex, Coquille, Oregon 97423
Mailing Address: 250 N. Baxter, Coos County Courthouse, Coquille, Oregon 97423
Physical Address: 217 N. Adams, Coquille, Oregon
(541) 396-7590
FAX (541) 756-8267 / TDD (800) 735-2900
[email protected]
Barye Bluth, MS, Coos County Veterans Service Officer
Troy May, Assistant Veteran Service Officer 
 
Press Release
 
For Immediate Release: August 31, 2018
Contact: Barye Bluth or Troy May
Coos County Veterans Department
[email protected]
541-396-7590
 
Coos County Veterans Services hosts
Celebration of Heroes – Vietnam Traveling Tribute  
September 12-16, 2018
 
Coos County Veteran Services is pleased to announce A Celebration of Heroes.  This event brings an 80% replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall to Coos County September 13-16, 2018.  A schedule of events is attached.  The Celebration of Heroes  is the culmination of a multi-year project to honor the Vietnam Veterans in our communities.
 
The Celebration of Heroes event will begin September 12, 2018 with a motor escort of the truck bringing the Wall.  The escort will start at the Coos County Fairgrounds in Myrtle Point.  Citizens are invited to participate and should arrive by 3:00 pm.  The escort will leave promptly at 4:00pm. 
​
No advertising or electioneering can be displayed during any wall events.
 
A large group of volunteers will erect the wall on 9/13/18 starting at 8:00 am.  There will be an Opening Ceremony at 3:00 pm that day.  The memorial will be open to visitors at the end of the Opening Ceremony and Dedication.  Visitors can view the wall from dawn to dusk on Friday and Saturday and on Sunday morning until noon.  Then, volunteers will dismantle the memorial and load the truck that will leave the county that afternoon. 
 
This beautiful display is an eighty percent replica of the memorial in Washington D.C.  It is a moving tribute honoring Vietnam Veterans and those who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives for our freedom.  All members of the public are invited to view the wall and join in the planned events. 
 
The Sawdust Theater has generously added a benefit show to help with this endeavor.  Tickets are $25 and will include a BBQ with live music after the show.  Tickets may be purchased at the Coquille Chamber of Commerce (541-396-3414), Century 21 Best Realty Coquille (541-396-5387) or Fran Capehart (541 396-5357). 
 
Coos County Veteran Services will host an information session for the press on Tuesday, August 28th at 2:00 in the Owens Building large conference room, 201 North Adams, Coquille, Oregon.   Further information regarding the wall may be found at:  http://www.americanveteranstravelingtribute.com/

Schedule of Events

September 12, 2018 – Motor Escort
3:00pm      Coos County Fairgrounds
4:00 pm     Escort truck to Sturdivant
  
September 13, 2018 - Opening
3:00 pm     Opening Ceremony
8:00 pm     Taps
  
September 14 and 15, 2018
Wall open all day
Activities for children: 
Peace Rocks
Origami Peace Cranes
8:00 pm     Taps
 
September 16, 2018
Wall open for visitors until noon
Noon to 3:00 pm – Deconstruct wall, clean up park and wall departs 
 
Assistance available to locate names and materials to make a rubbing of your loved one’s name.  

The petition sheets will be available soon:  

The Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance was designed to replace the
Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance that the voters of Coos County enacted in the election of 2015.   

2018 Coos County State of Oregon
Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance
 
SECTION 1.  TITLE
The title of this ordinance shall be known as the "Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance,” or “SASO.”
 
SECTION 2.  FINDINGS
The people of Coos County Oregon find and declare:
A.    Acting through the United States Constitution, the people created government to be their agent in the exercise of a few defined powers, while reserving the citizen’s right to decide on matters, which concern their lives, liberties, and properties in the ordinary course of affairs;
 
B.     The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America states, “A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed”;
 
C.      The rights of the people to keep and bear arms are further protected from infringement by State and Local Governments under the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America as well as Article 1 of the Constitution of the Great State of Oregon;
 
D.    Article 1, Section 27 of the Constitution of the Great State of Oregon states, “The people shall have the right to bear arms for the defense of themselves, and the State, but the Military shall be kept in strict subordination to the civil power”;
 
E.     Article 1, Section 33 of the Constitution of the Great State of Oregon states, “This enumeration of rights and privileges shall not be construed to impair or deny others retained by the people”;
 
F.      The Supreme Court of the United States of America in District of Columbia v. Heller upheld the individual rights to bear arms as protected by the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.  Justice Scalia’s opinion stated that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that firearm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home;
 
G.    Justice Thomas M. Cooley in the People v. Hurlbut 24 Mich. 44, page 108 (1871) he surmises:  “The State may mould local institutions according to its views of policy or expediency: but local government is matter of absolute right; and the state cannot take it away”;
 
H.    The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America Section 1 it states, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”;
 
I.       There is a right to be free from the commandeering hand of government that has been most notably recognized by the United States Supreme Court in Printz v. United States.  The Court held: ‘The Federal Government may neither issue directives requiring the States to address particular problems, nor command the States’ officers, or those of their political subdivisions, to administer or enforce a federal regulatory program. The anticommandeering principles recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in Printz v. United States are predicated upon the advice of James Madison, who in Federalist #46 advised “a refusal to cooperate with officers of the Union” in response to either unconstitutional federal measures or constitutional but unpopular federal measures;
 
J.       It should be self-evident from the compounding evidence that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental individual right that shall not be infringed and all local, state, and federal acts, laws, orders, rules or regulations regarding firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition are a violation of the Second Amendment;
 
K.    Local governments have the legal authority to refuse to cooperate with state and federal firearm laws that violate those rights and to proclaim a Second Amendment Sanctuary for law-abiding citizens in their cities and counties;  
 
L.     Therefore, through the enactment of this document Coos County Oregon is hereby a Second Amendment Sanctuary County;
 
SECTION 3.  PROHIBITIONS
A.    Other than in compliance with an order of a District or Circuit court, and notwithstanding any other law, regulation, rule or order to the contrary, no agent, department, employee or official of Coos County, a political subdivision of the State of Oregon, while acting in their official capacity, shall:
 
1)      Knowingly and willingly, participate in any way in the enforcement of any Extraterritorial Act, as defined herein regarding personal firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition.
 
2)      Utilize any assets, county funds, or funds allocated by any entity to the county, in whole or in part, to engage in any activity that aids in the enforcement or investigation relating to personal firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition.
 
SECTION 4.  PENALTIES
A.    All local, state and federal acts, laws, orders, rules, or regulations, which restrict or affect an individual person’s, or The Peoples’, general right to keep and bear arms, including firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition shall be foreign laws and defined as Extraterritorial Acts, and are invalid in this county.  Such Extraterritorial Acts shall not be recognized by Coos County, are specifically rejected by the voters of this county, and shall be considered null, void and of no effect in Coos County Oregon, and this includes, but shall not be limited to the following:
 
1)      Any tax, levy, fee, or stamp imposed on firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition not common to all other goods and services on the purchase or ownership of those items by citizens; and
 
2)      Any registering or tracking of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition;
 
3)      Any registering or tracking of the owners of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition;
 
4)      Any registration and background check requirements on firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition for citizens; and
 
5)      Any Extraterritorial Act forbidding the possession, ownership, or use or transfer of any type of firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition by citizens of the legal age of eighteen and over; and
 
6)      Any Extraterritorial Act ordering the confiscation of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition from citizens; and
 
7)      Any prohibitions, regulations, and/or use restrictions related to ownership of non-fully automatic firearms, including but not limited to semi-automatic firearms; including semiautomatic firearms that have the appearance or features similar to fully automatic firearms and/or military "assault-style" firearms by citizens; and
 
8)      Any prohibition, regulations, and/or use restrictions limiting hand grips, stocks, flash suppressors, bayonet mounts, magazine capacity, clip capacity, internal capacity, or types of ammunition available for sale, possession or use by citizens; and
 
9)      Any restrictions prohibiting the possession of open carry or concealed carry, or the transport of lawfully acquired firearms or ammunition by adult citizens or minors supervised by adults.
 
B.     Anyone within the jurisdiction of Coos County Oregon accused to be in violation of this ordinance may be made a defendant in a civil proceeding pursuant to ORS 203.065.
 
C.     Fines recovered under ORS 203.030 to 203.075 shall be paid to the clerk of the court in which recovery is had. After first deducting court costs in the proceedings, the clerk shall pay the remainder to the treasurer of the county for the general fund of the county, pursuant to ORS 203.065.
 
D.    A civil offense against this ordinance is a Class A violation, per ORS 203.065, with a maximum fine of $2,000 for an individual, and $4,000 for a corporation, per ORS 153.018.
 
E.     Any peace officer, as defined by ORS 161.015, may enforce this ordinance, adopted under ORS 203.035.

F.      Exceptions:
a.       The protections provided to citizens in Section A(1)-(A)(9) of this ordinance do not apply to persons who have been convicted of felony crimes. 
b.      This ordinance is not intended to prohibit or affect in any way the prosecution of any crime for which the use of, or possession of, a firearm is an aggregating factor or enhancement to an otherwise independent crime.
c.       This ordinance does not permit or otherwise allow the possession of firearms in State or Federal buildings.
d.      This ordinance does not prohibit individuals in Coos County from voluntarily participating in assisting in permitting, licensing, registration or other processing of applications for concealed carry permits, or other firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition licensing or registration processes that may be required by law in other legal jurisdictions outside Coos County or by any other municipality inside Coos County.
 
SECTION 5.  PRIVATE CAUSE OF ACTION
A.    Any entity, person, official, agent, or employee of the Coos County Government who knowingly violates this ordinance, or otherwise knowingly deprives a citizen of Coos County the rights or privileges ensured by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution or Article 1, Section 27 of the Oregon State Constitution, while acting under the color of any state or federal law, shall be liable to the injured party in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.
 
B.     In such actions, the court shall award the prevailing party, other than the government of Coos County Oregon or any political subdivision of the county, reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
 
C.     Neither sovereign nor official or qualified immunity shall be an affirmative defense of the County in cases pursuant to Section 4 or 5 of this ordinance.
 
SECTION 6.  SEVERABILITY
A.    The provisions of this act are hereby declared to be severable, and if any provision of this act or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance is declared invalid for any reason, such declaration shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this act.
 
SECTION 7.  EFFECTIVE DATE
A.    The effective date of this ordinance, The Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance or SASO shall be effective immediately upon certification of approval by the voters of Coos County.

Every election seems to come with the promise of more tax increases.  The government never seems to have enough.  Even with record revenues, the Oregon state government finds itself with shortfalls and more unfunded liabilities left for the repayment of future generations.
 
Our own Coos County commissioners are always mulling over new taxes.  The museum tax, the transient tax, the road tax, the marijuana tax and of course the urban renewal tax they are insatiable in their appetite for the people’s money. 
 
In late March of this year, the commissioners bypassed the people and voted unanimously to renew the county’s North Bay Urban Renewal plan, which has the potential of going into thirty-two million dollars of debt.
 
The commissioners give the same cheesy excuse that only the people living in the UR area are paying the UR tax, but that is a half-truth.
 
It is true that only the property owners in a UR area pay their property taxes directly to that area’s UR agency over the frozen tax base.  Anything over the frozen base is the increment of taxes that goes to finance the UR agency, hence the term tax-increment financing. 
 
However, those tax dollars were supposed to go to several other overlapping taxing districts to cover the cost of the services provided by those districts. 
 
Everyone in the county uses the services provided by those districts, including the owners of the properties inside the UR area.  When taxpayers of the property inside the UR taxing area do not pay for the services they are using because the system has redirected the money to the UR agency, other taxpayers in the other overlapping countywide districts have to cover the cost of those expenses.  Therefore, everyone who pays property taxes in Coos County pays taxes directly or indirectly for the debt accrued by all seven urban renewal areas that exist in the county through this process of tax increment financing. 
 
Otherwise, property owners would not see UR taxes listed on their tax bill. 
 
The county loses $3 million annually in tax revenue to urban renewal, which represents 5% of the total amount of property taxes collected in the county.  Multnomah County, which is essentially Portland, dedicates about 25% of their total annual property taxes to urban renewal, and their number one complaint is affordable housing, which is partially due to TIF. 
 
There is no such thing as free money. 
 
Since the politicians are going to use most of this money to facilitate the development of private corporations, it then comes down to a simple question.
 
Should the government use public tax dollars to gamble on private development or should corporations gamble with their own money?
 
Politicians are neither lucky nor skillful enough to be rolling the dice with the people’s money, and that includes the three political hacks currently serving on this county’s Board of Commissioners.  
 
People rarely get a chance to rescind an ordinance that continues a tax, and once the government enacts a tax, it is impossible to stop.  In the November election, the people will have a chance to repeal the county’s urban renewal plan and the tax debt that goes along with it. 
 
The voters of Coos County should take advantage of this possibly once in a lifetime experience and vote yes to repeal. VOTE YES for Measure 6-168 and feel-good about repealing a tax because it is the right thing to do. 
 
Anyone interested in finding out more information on urban renewal and tax-increment financing can go to www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.  

 Secretary of StateElections Division
oregonvotes.gov
Contact: [email protected] | 503-986-1518 | Toll Free 1-866-673-VOTE


Initiative Petition

SALEM –Signature verification for the 2018 petition cycle has been completed and the following measure numbers have been assigned to the legislative referral from the 79th Legislative Assembly and those petitions qualified to the November 6, 2018, General Election ballot. They are:




Measure 102
Referral 401 (HJR 201)
Amends Constitution: Allows local bonds for financing affordable housing with nongovernmental entities. Requires voter approval, annual audits


Measure 103
Initiative 37; determined to contain 119,744 valid signatures
Amends Constitution: Prohibits taxes/fees based on transactions for "groceries" (defined) enacted or amended after September 2017


Measure 104
Initiative 31; determined to contain 124,428 valid signatures
Amends Constitution: Expands (beyond taxes) application of requirement that three-fifths legislative majority approve bills raising revenue


Measure 105
Initiative 22; determined to contain 96,700 valid signatures
Repeals law limiting use of state/local law enforcement resources to enforce federal immigration laws


Measure 106
Initiative 1; determined to contain 117,799 valid signatures
Amends Constitution: Prohibits spending "public funds" (defined) directly/indirectly for "abortion" (defined); exceptions;
reduces abortion access




Additional information is available at www.oregonvotes.gov. ​

​August 7, 2018
 
TIOGA SPORTS PARK ASSOCIATION  NOW OPEN 
 
Bandon, OR – The Board of Directors of the Tioga Sports Park Association (TSPA) are pleased to announce that the shooting range is now open.  The range, along with certified Range Safety Officers, will be open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday each week from 8 am until 6 pm.  
 
This project came together through the efforts of countless volunteers throughout the years.  “It is great to finally have the range open to the community,” said John Toman, President of TSPA.  TSPA currently consists of a 100 yard rifle range and a 10 or 25 yard pistol range, with room for 15 people to shoot at a time.  There are plans to expand the range as funding becomes available.  
 
Fees for Range use may be paid on site.  The fee is $100 per year for an individual or $150 per year for a family (which consists of spouses and children age 17 and under).  For day use, the fee is $10 per person.  Credit cards are accepted.  
 
Tioga Sports Park Association is located on Coos County Forest lands off Highway 101 coming from Coos Bay towards Bandon, near Beaver Hill Disposal Site.  The entrance is an immediate left after turning into the disposal site road from Hwy 101.
 
Contact Tioga Sports Park Association at: 
 
http://www.tiogasportspark.org/feedback_form.html 
News Media Contact:  John Toman   541-756-1266

​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/5/18
 
Contact:  Coos County Commissioner Melissa Cribbins Email:  [email protected] Phone: 541.396.7539
 
Jon-Paul Bowles, Executive Director, Travel Southern Oregon Coast Email: [email protected] Phone: 503.421.7504
 
 
Coos County wins $150,000 in funding for Whiskey Run Mountain Biking Trail
 
Coquille, Oregon, August 5, 2018: Coos County’s newest mountain biking trail, Whiskey Run, is set to expand. Coos County was awarded a $100,000 grant from Travel Oregon and will receive an additional $50,000 match from Travel Southern Oregon Coast. 
 
The first ten miles of the new trail opened in June 2018. “We hope to build 30 miles of world class single track,” said Coos County Commissioner Melissa Cribbins, who has spearheaded the effort along with Travel Southern Oregon Coast. “These funds are a big step toward that goal.” 
 
Whiskey Run is satisfying the growing local demand for more mountain biking infrastructure. “It’s also an important part of our economic development strategy for the county.” Commissioner Cribbins explained. 
 
Outdoor recreation and tourism is a growing sector on the southern Oregon coast. According to the Oregon Travel Impacts study, visitors spent over $271 million in Coos County in 2017. Tourism directly employs 3,300 people in the county. 
 
“We want to help get more people outside, enjoying the beauty of our woods and water,” said Jon-Paul Bowles, Executive Director for Travel Southern Oregon Coast. “Whether it’s helping fund Whiskey Run, water trails, or promotional materials, our goal is to show off the best of the south coast and encourage people to spend more money at local businesses.”
 
 The Whiskey Run opening event, held on June 9th, 2018 attracted over 100 people. 
 
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” said Coos County Forester Lance Morgan. “There are cars at the trailhead every day. I’ve seen license plates from Arizona, Utah, and all over.”